NACCHO Commends Congress for Protecting the Public from Disease Outbreaks, Emergencies and Other Disasters

NACCHO Commends Congress for Protecting the Public from Disease Outbreaks, Emergencies and Other Disasters

Washington, DC (March 4, 2013) —

The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) commends Congress for reauthorizing the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). PAHPA’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness grants to state and local health departments are critical to ensuring that local health departments are able to prepare communities for disasters, respond if emergencies occur, and lend support throughout the recovery process. From labs identifying a new disease strain to distributing vaccines and drugs during a pandemic, local health departments depend on the programs authorized by PAHPA.

PAHPA also includes a provision for state and local governments to temporarily reassign federally-funded local personnel during a public health emergency. This will help meet the tremendous staffing needs required during a disaster.

The reauthorization of PAPHA will build ready and resilient communities and help to ensure the public’s safety.

About the National Association of County and City Health Officials
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) represents the nation's 2,800 local governmental health departments. These city, county, metropolitan, district, and tribal departments work every day to protect and promote health and well-being for all people in their communities.